Perceptive
by october31st1981
Summary: "I'm sorry that they keep throwing us together like this. I get the feeling they're mostly doing it on my behalf." In which the Marauders make a shoddy attempt at matchmaking.


Their mates thought they were so bloody _clever_.

As if James didn't notice when Sirius would elbow him just hard enough to send him flying into Lily in the corridors in between classes. As if Lily didn't find it suspicious that Remus would call her over and then immediately feign a coughing fit that required him to retrieve a glass of water from the kitchens, even though he was perfectly capable of producing water through a spell. As if neither of them wondered at the fact that Peter would invite them all out to Hogsmeade and somehow, the other three boys would get lost in the crowds on their way to the Three Broomsticks.

It was because of these valiant efforts to leave Lily and James alone together that they were both in each other's presence now, in the courtyard at the base of the clock tower, as the sun was low in the sky. "Evans," greeted James, grinning. "I suppose Remus told you to come here with some vague excuse too?"

"Sirius, actually." she corrected, looking around the empty courtyard. "Can't say I'm entirely surprised that neither of them showed up."

James began to circle the antique fountain at the centre and Lily followed his lead. "You have to admire their persistence," he said fairly. He hopped on the edge of the fountain, walking on its perimeter alongside Lily.

"They can't honestly believe we haven't cottoned on to their little game."

"I think they gave up hiding it around the time Sirius tried to convince us that Peter was drowning in the lake, but wouldn't come back with us to help." James said, snickering.

"I'm quite chuffed at their efforts, really. It means a lot to have their approval, even if I don't need it." said Lily. She joined James on the edge of the fountain, circling in the opposite direction. "I've got to wonder though, don't they have romantic lives of their own to worry about?" They met in the middle and both turned back around, moving around the circle once more.

James shrugged. "Sirius has got more girls than he can handle, Peter is happily dating a sixth-year Ravenclaw and Remus denies himself all forms of romantic pleasure. They're all settled in their respective situations and they want me to settle too, I s'pose."

"So being with me is settling?" said Lily teasingly, peering around one of the pillars that surrounded them.

James flushed, running a hand through his hair. "Not what I meant, Evans."

Her grin widened at his expression and she approached the side where James stood. "Relax, Potter." she said, taking in his flustered demeanor. "If I was that easily offended, I'd have stopped hanging around you lot ages ago."

"You have an astonishing ability to make me feel like I'm always about to say something stupid."

Lily laughed. "To be fair, you usually are," she said. She ducked as he dipped his hand into the water and attempted to splash her. She attempted to push James in, but it only resulted in her shoes getting wet. James managed to catch her around the waist. He had her feet dangling at the top the water, and if he loosened his grip she would surely fall in at least knee-deep.

"So, how long do you think we have to stay here until the lads are satisfied that they've accomplished something?" James asked, casually glancing at his watch as if he did not have his friend suspended midair.

Lily looked at the lowering sun, as if making some calculation. She too, ignored the fact that she was hanging perilously from his arms. "At least another ten minutes," she said decidedly.

"Right then," said James, dropping her. She fell backward, landing on her tailbone and getting herself far wetter than she had anticipated. James laughed from his position above her. "Alright, Lily?" he asked in between chuckles, not bothering to extend a hand to help.

She rose from the water and stepped back onto the edge of the fountain. She removed her outer robes and proceeded to wring them out over James's head. For some reason, this did nothing to quell his laughter. In fact, he was laughing so hard that it was hard not to laugh along. She found herself sniggering at intervals until they were both nearly about to fall in again.

After they calmed down, James managed to say, "I'm sorry."

"That you dropped me in the fountain? I don't believe that in the least." Lily said, shaking her wet hair out at him.

James laughed, but his expression became slightly more serious. "I meant that they keep throwing us together like this. Sirius, Remus, and Peter. I get the feeling they're mostly doing it on my behalf," he admitted, avoiding her eyes.

Lily was quiet. So quiet, in fact, that James might have questioned her presence if it weren't for the sound of water dripping from her hair. "You really are stupid," she said after a moment. "I've already told you that I know about what the lads are trying to do."

He looked up. "But it's not your fault they keep doing it," James argued.

"James, I knew that Sirius wasn't going to be in the courtyard." Lily reminded him.

"So?" he prompted in confusion.

"So," Lily sighed, moving her hands to his collar to tug him closer, "why do you think I came anyway?" she asked, a breath away from him.

To this, James had no answer. He would later be thankful for this, because it prevented him both from saying something idiotic and from otherwise occupying his mouth, because in a moment Lily had found a far better use for it. And thus a walk around a fountain in a courtyard resulted in three smug Gryffindors, a few coins exchanging hands and a stupid and happy couple, kissing by the water's edge until the sun went down.


End file.
